Happy Mother's Day to All!

We wanted to wish a very happy Mother's Day to all. We hope you have a wonderful day! Our loving and hard-working mothers certainly deserve every indulgence and appreciation.

The holiday of Mother's Day has its roots in honoring mothers whose families were torn apart by the Civil War. In 1868, Anne Jarvis created a committee to establish a "Mother's Friendship Day" whose purpose was "to reunite families that had been divided during the Civil War." She wanted to expand it into an annual memorial for mothers, but she died in 1905 before the celebration became popular.

Appropriately, it was Anne's daughter, Anna, who would continue her mother's efforts and, in 1914, Congress and President Woodrow Wilson issued proclamations declaring the first national Mother's Day.

Amidst the celebration it's also good to take a moment to consider mothers who are less fortunate.

Here are some videos which raise awareness about the plight of mothers around the world:

- Every Mother Counts, a global maternal health advocacy organization founded by Christy Turlington, has declared today "No Mothers Day," in remembrance of the women and girls who die during pregnancy and childbirth each year. Watch their video here. 

-Actor Ben Affleck, an ardent activist for the Eastern Congo, also produced a video honoring the brave mothers who are raising their children in this war-torn nation. Watch his video here.

Happy Mother's Day to Moms everywhere!